- You need a beach vacation as much as they do. For the past ten years, our family has spent almost every break lugging sand buckets and shovels down to the beach. We have gone with family, close friends, and new families we’re just getting to know. Every single time, the kids play so hard, they become absorbed in their own worlds. The change in latitude is a change in attitude, and no one says they’re bored. With the kids happy and busy, moms can chat over chips and salsa and dads can throw the football around. Everyone goes home sunburned and happy.
- The beach is cheap. You could spend thousands of dollars on a swanky beach hotel, but you don’t need to. Really, a day at the beach is always free. No admission for the beach. Gift shops are usually a hike away and the only dollars anyone’s exchanging are sand dollars.
- The beach is just wild enough. Dads can take the kids swimming out where waves crash over their heads, and this feels very risky for them. Actual sharks swim in these waves, even though they rarely bother humans. You will find jellyfish and crabs on the shore, and your kids will feel like they’re on a real adventure.
- Your pictures will be amazing. Everyone is tan, with flushed cheeks. The background is always uncluttered and pretty. And if you happen to catch a picture of your crew right at sunset, it could be the one that stays framed on your wall forever.
- Family walks on the beach are good for your heart—in lots of ways. My most successful FitBit days are days at the beach because I walk with each of the kids, then all the kids, then each of the dogs, then all of the dogs and kids. Lots of cardiovascular activity. But long walks on the beach are also good for your heart in a soulful way. A family walk on the beach engages every sense. The smell of saltwater is a tangy scent your kids will remember forever. The constant wind by the shore keeps even the sweatiest kids cool. Beach walks are fun people-watching and dog-greeting. You can start a family shell collection. And, most importantly, the roaring waves and sunshine always brings enough space and light for deep conversations.
- The beach is 24-hour fun. At sunrise, you can join dozens of other dog walkers collecting the best shells of the day. Go midmorning with toddlers and babies so they can nap later, during the brutally hot hours. Slather sunscreen on bigger kids who have the energy to stay until after dinner. Go right after sunset to hunt for ghost crabs. Take your teenagers for a walk on the beach before bed. The beach is loud, pitch-black, and a little risky at night, just disorientating enough for a memorable time together. No entrance gates, lines, or hours at the beach.
- Learn the lesson that nature wins over commercialism. This past summer, mountains of seaweed took over Galveston’s beaches. The tourists were appalled by the stinky fish, shrimp, and sea creatures that live in the seaweed. Galveston’s tourism board tried to clear the beaches, but they couldn’t keep up with the red tide rolling in with every wave. In the end, they had to admit Galveston needed the seaweed to build up the dunes and protect the island from future hurricanes. The beach took care of itself. Visit the beach enough, and you’ll start to notice this. We build fancy hotels with swim-up bars and faux waterfalls. We construct little condo villages with hundreds of units piled on top of each other. We create humungous amusement parks on boardwalks. Then a hurricane comes and blows it all away in one night. Showing this to your kids will help them respect the power of nature.
- The beach changes according to your family. When your kids are very little, go to an easy beach, with clean, white sand and mild temperatures. When your kids are in elementary school, visit a wilder beach. Your kids will collect bits of driftwood, hermit crabs, and see shark’s teeth on the shore. When their teenagers, go to a crowded, touristy beach with sand volleyball games. When they’re adults, take them to a beach that serves umbrella drinks and delivers fresh, white towels. They’ll love every beach season.
- Give your kids a life-long love and understanding of the beach. Kids should leave childhood with some basic skills. This is how you build a fire. Drink lots of water when you change altitude. Collect the best shells at the debris line several feet away from the water. Saltwater cures jellyfish stings. You learn the beach ones by spending wild, free days there.
- The universe doesn’t revolve around you, kiddo. At the beach, your kids will construct their own sand cities with intricate road systems and impressive skyscrapers. They will proudly show you their perfect cities. And then a huge wave will crush it all. This is the deeper lesson at the beach and in life. You’re not in control of everything, and this is a relief. Our kids watch us obsessing over our own sand cities, and I’m afraid we might be giving them the impression it’s important to manage and control everything in our lives. We don’t really manage anything, of course. God deconstructs, rearranges, and asks us to rebuild bigger and better. Our kids always leave the beach with a deeper respect for what they can’t control.
Come and visit the beach at Galveston. Best of Times Beach House is ready for summer rentals.
